Tony Moeaki: He's no Lee Smith!

[Thurman#1]

I guess I stand corrected. We would have risked losing Caleb Holley! (Question: who the hell is Caleb Holley?). Or Jeff Tuel. Or some wide receiver named Travis Harvey. Are we certain that Caleb Holley and Travis Harvey are actually 2 different players? My point: there's always fungible practice squad guys out there. They're like the utility infielder AAAA guys in baseball. You should never worry about finding them, and you should never let actual talent go to keep one of them. Or Lee Smith for that matter.

 

 

They may seem fungible to the people like us who don't see them at practice. They're not. They have different strengths and weaknesses, they fit different schemes, they know less or more about the system than other people ... Moeaki is one of those guys, and proof that they're not fungible.

 

Moeaki is also a guy who has played, since the end of the 2010 season, 20 games, which comes out to about 5 games per year over the last three and a half seasons. That's not a guy you can count on.

 

2010: 15 games

2011: 0

2012: 15 games

2013: 2 games

2014 3 games

Edited November 28, 2014 by Thurman#1

[YoloinOhio]

Did Moeaki practice once the entire TC?

[Magox]

I think we should try to sign Moeaki for next year so we could run a four tight end formation. Ya'know, to play to our strengths.

[NoSaint]

 

Meeks was put on IR. He's still under contract and done for the season and we have him next year. I don't think anyone knows how hurt he was. It would not be fair to Moeaki to keep him from playing when he doesn't have a contract when he is healthy. You have to reach an injury settlement with that player. He can play for another team but not you. You can't put an injured player on the PS and I doubt even with the new rules he is eligible since he played most of one year before.

 

Moeaki signed a two year contract with the Bills last year. It was up at the end of this year.

 

I'm excited to see his next set of guys we should've cut to keep moeaki- maybe a coach or scout will make the list since we've already hit practice squad and IR.

 

There could've been an argument to keep him as your 53rd if you were confident in the injuries timeline but if trainers were (in hindsight accurately) saying 2+ months it's hard to complain

[Freddie's Dead]

First, Moeaki was not PS eligible, so did you want to carry him on the 53-man roster for an indeterminate amount of time until he might miraculously recover from his injuries? Second, did you want the Bills to waste the temp IR tag on him if you didn't know he could come back at all? They ended up using that tag on Spiller, a WAY better use of that tag. Third, did you want to see another Merriman episode? Not really a fair comparison, because unlike Moeaki, Merriman actually gave the Bills some useful plays. Remember the bitching and moaning because the Bills didn't cut Merriman loose earlier to get back a roster spot? Now you're bitching about Moeaki getting cut loose too soon? Make up your freaking minds. The Bills did the only thing they could do. They put Moeaki on IR, then he wanted to play, so we reached an injury settlement and cut him loose. Even in hindsight, I don't see how you could fault OBD for their handling of Moeaki.

[boyst]

But Moeaki was regarded as maybe the best blocking tight end in his draft class. I think folks are missing my point here (maybe my joking was to blame): the point is that bringing Moeaki in last year was a good idea even though no one had any expectation that he'd be able to contribute last year. And the fact that he didn't make it back in preseason shouldn't have surprised anyone either. It was a longer-range play, and a smart one. But it isn't smart when you give up on that longer-range play too soon, which is what happened here. If they'd stayed the course with him that would've meant injured reserve time, and yes, it would have meant losing someone else. But sticking with Moeaki made some sense since (1) tight end is an exceptionally weak position on this team; (2) and even knowing that, we chose not to draft a tight end other than Gragg very late in the draft last year (while drafting two WRs) or this year (while drafting one WR). Given all those new WRs, signing Mike Williams was probably the mistake that drove some other mistakes. Williams won't be back, Goodwin likely won't be back, Lee Smith (I hope) won't be back, there'd be nothing lost if all of them weren't on this year's team at all.

Moeaki ormsmith as blocker in his class?

[Mr. WEO]

Let Moeaki play more then 3 games successfully in a 5 game stretch. He is on a team which plays to his strengths, short yards and no long ball behind a game manager at qb.

 

Big difference here in buffalo is we are a Ru. First team. So is Seattle but that is at the distaste of Carroll and Co who want to gunsling it and don't value runners.

 

Say what??

[4merper4mer]

Let Moeaki play more then 3 games successfully in a 5 game stretch. He is on a team which plays to his strengths, short yards and no long ball behind a game manager at qb.

 

Big difference here in buffalo is we are a Ru. First team. So is Seattle but that is at the distaste of Carroll and Co who want to gunsling it and don't value runners.

 

Well Lee Smith has 3 successful games in his career.....maybe...so why hold TM to 3/5?

[NoSaint]

 

 

Well Lee Smith has 3 successful games in his career.....maybe...so why hold TM to 3/5?

 

he did have his first 2 catch game this year - big ol 5 yard total on the day!

 

though he does still have more penalties than catches.

Edited November 28, 2014 by NoSaint

[starrymessenger]

I don't know if Moeaki could have been the answer but I understand the sentiment.

If the Bills had a really good and complete TE and a legit vertical threat WR they would have absolutely all the tools for a top shelf passing game.

Imagine Gronk instead of Troup and TY instead of TJ.

Just to say that such things are not impossible.

[Kelly the Dog]

 

What does fair have to do with it? They didn't have to release him but why not pay him less if he isn't going to play for your team ever.

They did. That's the whole point. You reach a settlement with him. Pay him, say, a third of his guaranteed salary instead of all of it, to release him. He can't play for several weeks whether he is healthy or not. But then he gets to play for another team. He also doesn't have to accept the settlement. He can stay on IR and collect the full year but then couldn't play at all.

[OldNMBillsFan]

I think Moeaki played the Bills. He used Buffalo for a paycheck until he was ready to play again. Made sure he was cut, and signed with the team he wanted. Just like Blount played Pittsburgh to get to NE, and Martin played Miami to get to SF. Just my opinion.

Edited November 28, 2014 by OldNMBillsFan

[boyst]

Well Lee Smith has 3 successful games in his career.....maybe...so why hold TM to 3/5?

In theory, Smiths value to our team was to be greater then Moeaki's.

 

Smith was to help establish our OT's blocking on the outside allowing Spiller to gain more yards.

 

Say what??

Carroll has always valued the kind of offense that used smart and efficient passes to move the ball and does not value runners. He is more of an Andy Reid then he is a Bill Cowher.

[NoSaint]

I think Moeaki played the Bills. He used Buffalo for a paycheck until he was ready to play again. Made sure he was cut, and signed with the team he wanted. Just like Blount played Pittsburgh to get to NE, and Martin played Miami to get to SF. Just my opinion.

 

makes sense. a guy with huge injury question marks faked an injury, and sat out 2 months to get to seattle 8 games earlier than his anticipated free agency.

[Kelly the Dog]

In theory, Smiths value to our team was to be greater then Moeaki's.

 

Smith was to help establish our OT's blocking on the outside allowing Spiller to gain more yards.

 

Carroll has always valued the kind of offense that used smart and efficient passes to move the ball and does not value runners. He is more of an Andy Reid then he is a Bill Cowher.

Sorry my boys, I just don't think either of those were true. The Bills had big plans for Moaeki. They really wanted him to play. He was playing ahead of Smith when in there. He was a much bigger part of their idea than Smith was, he just couldn't stay healthy. They want Gragg to do that and they have tried playing him a lot it just hasn't worked well.

 

And the Seahawks thrive on their run game. They take advantage of their unique QBs abilities but their bread and butter is their run game. Notice for all their bitching about Marshawn they let Tate and Harvin go, and have kept Lynch. Turbin is used a lot, too, lately.

[dave mcbride]

 

Meeks was put on IR. He's still under contract and done for the season and we have him next year. I don't think anyone knows how hurt he was. It would not be fair to Moeaki to keep him from playing when he doesn't have a contract when he is healthy. You have to reach an injury settlement with that player. He can play for another team but not you. You can't put an injured player on the PS and I doubt even with the new rules he is eligible since he played most of one year before.

 

Moeaki signed a two year contract with the Bills last year. It was up at the end of this year.

Solution: PUP.

[boyst]

Sorry my boys, I just don't think either of those were true. The Bills had big plans for Moaeki. They really wanted him to play. He was playing ahead of Smith when in there. He was a much bigger part of their idea than Smith was, he just couldn't stay healthy. They want Gragg to do that and they have tried playing him a lot it just hasn't worked well.

 

And the Seahawks thrive on their run game. They take advantage of their unique QBs abilities but their bread and butter is their run game. Notice for all their bitching about Marshawn they let Tate and Harvin go, and have kept Lynch. Turbin is used a lot, too, lately.

perhaps, I really don't know, and I think that is the issue - no one really knew at the time because he never played.

 

I do not know if PUP would have been an option, but I would have much rather done that then release the guy outright, as we did. But, this goes in to the whole process of Graham vs. Goodwin. Who would contribute more for the Bills in 2014 if Graham was here? Goodwin has missed many games and it is likely Graham would have missed none and perhaps provided a catch or two more then Goodwin. Dependability matters a lot.

[Kelly the Dog]

 

Solution: PUP.

He practiced and played a little. Don't think you could put him on there.

[OldNMBillsFan]

makes sense. a guy with huge injury question marks faked an injury, and sat out 2 months to get to seattle 8 games earlier than his anticipated free agency.

 

Exactly! Makes as much sense as this thread. Bottom line, Smith earned the spot on the roster because Moaeki could not take it from him. It reminds me of last years Da' Rick Rogers thread.

[BaaadThingsMan]

It does suck to see Moeaki making plays now since the Bills took a chance on him and paid him while helping him rehab in the hopes that he would heal and make the team this year but he couldn't stay healthy so he had to go. This regime has cut the cord on some good players a little early it would seem but all for the greater good of the team?